As the nights draw in, we asked two of our favourite bars (and one actor) to make a custom winter cocktail just for you. Pop in and ask them to mix you one, you won’t find it on the menu.

LULLABY

A tucked away, unpretentious cocktail bar in New York’s Lower East Side, hidden at the bottom of some unassuming stairs on the south side of Rivington Street. Good vibes, great drinks.

MILLIONAIRE’S HOLIDAY

THE COCKTAIL

“Creamy and full bodied, with notes of baking spices and a hint of smoke, Millionaire’s Holiday is a great drink for a holiday celebration, or perfect to cosy up next to the fireplace and read your favourite novel. The cocktail is totally original to Lullaby, you won’t find it anywhere else. In loving memory of Brother Cleve, our friend and business partner who passed away in September.”

INGREDIENTS
1.5 oz dark rum (preferably Ron del Barrilito 3 Star)
.25 oz Islay Scotch
.75 oz heavy cream
.25 oz orgeat
.25 oz cinnamon syrup
1 whole egg

INSTRUCTIONS

Dry shake (with no ice to emulsify egg), shake hard with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, garnish with grated nutmeg.

MARTINY’S

Takuma Watanabe was head bartender at Angel’s Share for eight years, the legendary New York cocktail bar that closed in 2021. Now he has co-founded his own venture – Martiny’s – a Japanese cocktail bar in an old carriage house in Gramercy, NY.

WHITE GRASSHOPPER

THE COCKTAIL

“Inspired by the classic Grasshopper cocktail, but unlike the classic, which is green, this is white to mimic snow in the winter. It’s garnished with mint leaves and cacao nibs to add texture to the creaminess you get from the cream and rum in the drink.”

INGREDIENTS
30 ml Facundo Neo rum
30 ml white cacao liqueur
15 ml white mint liqueur
30 ml heavy cream
1 tsp cacao nibs
1 mint leaf

INSTRUCTIONS
Put Fecundo Neo, white cacao liqueur and white mint liqueur in a mixing glass with ice. Stir in mixing glass. Pour into rocks glass with ice and top with heavy cream, cacao nibs and mint.

NICHOLAS HAMILTON

Actor Nicholas Hamilton was on the cover of the HERO Summer Zine in 2019. Alongside his burgeoning career, Nicholas loves a good cocktail and spends hours on social media making drinks for his followers – he is releasing a book of recipes soon.

DREARY DAY’S NIGHT

THE COCKTAIL

“There seems to be a group of classic cocktails I can’t help riff upon (like the Negroni and Piña Colada) and every year, when Christmas rolls nearer, I try to switch up one of my faves, the hot toddy. This specific variation blends a smoky Islay Scotch whisky with actual smoke from a flamed cinnamon stick, supported by the slight back-of-the-throat warming of peppermint tea, reminiscent of a candy cane. The addition of maple syrup in place of the traditional honey makes this drink feel even more indulgent, while maintaining its prim and proper sleepy-time roots. Also, rosemary *weeps*. This cocktail is a campfire on Christmas Eve in liquid form, and isn’t that just the loveliest?”

INGREDIENTS
1 cinnamon stick
.75 oz blended Scotch
.75 oz peaty Islay Scotch
.75 oz good maple syrup
.5 oz lemon juice
.25 oz rosemary syrup
1 peppermint tea bag
4 oz boiling water

INSTRUCTIONS
Smoke your preferred toddy glass (or brandy snifter, in my case) with a cinnamon stick. Add all ingredients, stir with the torched cinnamon stick. Serve with tea bag and cinnamon stick still in the glass.

Illustrations by Ian West.